Faculty & Staff

Ian Fenwick, MFA

Biography

Ian is the founding member of the Theatre Department (1980) and served as Head for twenty-seven years (1980-2000, 2003-2010) guiding the development of department curriculum, staffing, programming, scholarships and facilities.

Ian teaches at all levels of the program focusing on studio courses in acting, directing, playmaking and the upper level lecture-based History of Musical Theatre. He has taught in Japan for Takushoku University and has conducted workshops for Theatre BC. His creative practice includes directing more than fifty productions for the department since 1980. Ian has directed newly commissioned scripts, many Canadian plays, musicals and twenty Shakespeare plays. His most recent productions are: Age of Arousal, Once in a Lifetime, As You Like It, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Canterbury Tales: The Pilgrimage of Geoffrey Chaucer. Ian also works as a dramaturge on play development. Among the plays he has helped develop are: The Play’s the Thing (site specific), Mr Big and Tall, Droning of Bombers, Ready to Start, Canterbury Tales: The Pilgrimage of Geoffrey Chaucer, The Nun’s Priest Tale, Medicine, and many others.

Ian founded and curates the annual Directors’ Theatre Festival that highlights the work of British Columbia post-secondary theatre students. Students from Capilano University, Thompson Rivers University, Langara College’s Studio 58, UVic, UBC, Trinity Western University, University of Vancouver Island, UBC Okanagan and Douglas College have over the years joined UFV students to present an annual, five-day post-secondary theatre festival each April since 1996.

Ian received two UFV Outstanding Achievement awards for his creative work: for a decade of extraordinary Shakespeare productions; and for developing and coordinating The Directors’ Theatre Festival.

In addition to his duties at UFV, Ian is an adjunct faculty member to Southern Oregon University where he conducts external study tours to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. His is a member of the Chilliwack Rotary Club and multiple Paul Harris Award winner; he chairs the Chilliwack Film Commission. Prior to joining UFV, Ian was a founding member of Touchstone Theatre in Vancouver and active in the professional community.